Patrick Osadebamwen
It what seems to be division among the natives of the Federal Capital Territory over the Land Swap policy initiated by the FCT Administration, the Ketti-Waru Youth Forum has taken a swipe at the Original Inhabitants Development Association, OIDA, for what they described as lack of foresightedness on the part of OIDA.
It would be recalled that last week, the Original Inhabitants Development Association kicked against the Land Swap model during a protest march to the National Assembly to register their grievances over the rejection of mayoralty seat for the Territory.
In a swift reaction, the Ketti-Waru Youth Forum has distanced itself from such position saying that the rejection of mayoralty by the National Assembly is a different issue from the Land Swap for infrastructural development.
Arising from a meeting of stakeholders on Friday last week, the President of Ketti-Waru Youth Forum, comrade Abubakar Yakubu said that the group noted with sadness that the issue of mayoralty been agitated by the OIDA has nothing in common with Land Swap infrastructural development of the FCT.
“As such, we the affected communities of Ketti-Waru Youth Forum distance our members from such agitation that we deem unproductive to the development of the Territory particularly the youths,” he stressed.
The forum pledged to support the FCT Administration in all its programmes geared towards the development of the Territory, even as the stakeholder’s forum commend the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed and the Minister of state for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide for their visionary leadership in the Land Swap infrastructural development.
Yakubu told journalists that the issue of mayoralty being canvassed by the Original Inhabitants Development Association is a constitution matter, while the land swap initiative is targeted at development of the Territory.
“We are more concern about policies that will bring development to our people, and we strongly believe that the land swap policy is one of such policies. We equally support the creation of more area councils and senatorial districts to bring development to the indigenous people. We are totally in support of the call for the indigenous people to be appointed as ministers, Special Advisers and Board members of both FCT and federal parastaltals,” he noted.
The youth leader used the forum to appreciate the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed for carrying the indigenous people along in the policy implementation of the Land Swap initiative especially the appointment of their son, Engr. Danjuma Bussa as community relation consultant.
